Saturday, May 29, 2010

But, when that show was on the air, Joshua Jackson and the current Mrs. Tom-Stepford-Cruise, Katie Holmes, were in love. Katie has since called Jackson her first love and says that she will "treasure" him always.

And that's what got Tom's granny panties in a bunch at some film awards show in London.

Sources, which usually means cater waiters and bar staff, said that Tommy Grrrl was so incensed that Jackson would be at the same event that he had his people call with all kinds of "stipulations" or else Tommy wasn't coming!

He wanted it clear that that Jackson and his date, Diane Kruger, would be seated nowhere near Cruise central. He wanted extra security, you know, in case Joshua Jackson came over to do something, like say 'Hello'. Tommy even demanded two dressing rooms--one for himself and one for Suri; you know, you can't start too late in the diva training.

Tommy also arrived forty-five minutes late to ensure Jackson was not on the red carpet as he an his Robot schmoozed the crowd.

Little man.

Giant ego.

This sounds scary.

Mariah Carey was set to appear in Tyler Perry's film version of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf but pulled out at the last minute sparking rumors that she is with child.

Mama Mariah say it ain't so!

Say you just went all Oprah on the buffet table!

But her mouthpiece, Colonel Sanders is his name, I think, said: “She is not doing the movie because her doctor advised her not to. More than that I cannot comment further.”

Hmmm.

Doctors.

Not working.

Could be a baby.

Could be a massive dose of lipo because Moo-Moo likes her pastries.

I am done with American Idol, but I will gossip about it.

Y'all saw--well, not y'all because ratings were waaaaaay down this year--the return of past winners, and losers, on the stage this year, but Adam Lambert was noticeably absent. American Idol minions say Lambert didn't show up for rehearsals, and they were afraid of what he might do on stage--like kiss a guy or something--so they planned the song without him.

Lambert, however, says he was never invited to perform. In fact, he says he was simply asked to be in the audience. And Lambert says he was too busy rehearsing for his tour to even do that.

People are calling him a diva, I say he's being smart. Why align yourself with that cheese-and-snooze-fest.

Plus, um, yeah, Daughtry? Jennifer Hudson? Where were they? It strikes an odd chord that three of the Idol losers who've gone on to greater success that the winners were not onstage that night.

Sour grapes, it sounds like, to me.

I love a story that just gets crazier and crazier.

Remember all those Matt Lauer cheating on his wife rumors? Me too!

Well, someone named Alexis Houston was the subject of Matt Lauer infidelity rumors, and now Miss Houston has hired media-whore-ambulance-chaser Gloria Allred to represent her.

Why, you ask? Me too!

Alexis says her privacy has been invaded with all this Lauer speculation, and she wants it stopped. Of course, she doesn't say she cheated with Lauer, and she doesn't say she didn't cheat with Lauer.

But......and this is where the crazy comes in.

She used to be he.

Alexis Houston, who says she's a singer, used to go by the name Wellington Houston, and was born Stuart Houston. ALLEGEDLY, this Miss Houston had a sex-change when a man fell in love with her and paid for the operation. In fact, she was a he when Whitney Houston sued him in 1996 for falsely claiming a cousin relationship with Whit; Whitney sued again in 2001 when her voice appeared on his or her--I'm confused too--demo tape.

That's crazy enough, but this Matt Lauer connection is even crazier.

Matty? if you liked the menz, you could'a called me; but maybe you just liked the womenz who used to be menz.

ALLEGEDLY.

PR news!

The show is on Lifetime--television for women and gay men--to stay, and the franchise, like a Heidi Klum pregnancy waistline will be expanding.

Two new Runway-esque projects are being developed by Lifetime.

The first reunites two former Runway contestants, windbag nutjob, Santino Rice and The Fabulous Austin Scarlett as they travel cross-country to find women who need a do-over, make-over.

The second show, which is in the first trimester of development, but will also star Heidi Klum and her hubby, Seal, in some sort of reality show, I'm imagining.

Seal. Heidi. The kids.

Lifetime seems to be going all TLC with this one.

This makes me laugh because it reeks of desperation, and comedy, and pathos.

No, just comedy.

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony. who will be celebrating their sixth wedding anniversary this summer, will do so by renewing their vows in a ginormous, media-centric, tabloid-inspired ceremony at their home in California.

Nice, I guess. But, after six years you think they really need a renewal? I mean, JLO and Skeletor renewed their vows once already in 2008. Why keep going?

Of course, with JLo's record, maybe Marc Anthony thinks he needs to constantly remind her that she's a married woman lest she run off with a restaurant owner, or a wannabe rapper, or has-been actor. Or the cable guy.

Like she hasn't done that before!

Jessica Simpson.

I don't want to make fun of the fact that she has, um, expanded her, um, empire waistline, but I will talk about her ginormous head.

Apparently, Simpson has a TV show called The Price Of Beauty, where she and a camera crew and the minions that dress her, style her, make her up, feed her, and see to it that she wipes after Number Two, travel the world giving make-up and hair tips to the underprivileged.

And Simpson says, of her show, on beauty--I laugh because it's pathetic: "I'm not saying I'm changing the world. But…to be able to sit with my Dad and [create] Price of Beauty. It's similar to missionary work. It was what I was called to do and called to be."

Giving make-up tips to people in third world countries who would much rather have a glass of water and a crust of bread is your idea of missionary work?

Seriously.

Jessica. No talent. Big assed. Stupid. You should stay home.

This gets me hot'n'bothered.But in a good way.

The National Enquirer--I know...but they did break the John Edwards story--is saying that Hottie McEnglish, 007 star, Daniel Craig might be bisexual.

Or....and here's where I'm hot'n'bothered....gay.

It seems that ALLEGEDLY Daniel was seen kissing a good-looking guy a couple of weeks back at the Roosterfish bar in Venice.

[Note to self: Get to Roosterfish. And bring a martini shaker for Mister Bond.]

An onlooker in the parking lot--meaning some drunk guy who hopes upon hope that Craig is gay....and, No, it wasn't me--says: "It was definitely Daniel Craig, and he was most certainly making out with a guy. Daniel kissed his friend on the lips. It was an open-mouth passionate French kiss. In fact, Daniel held the guy's head in his hands and pull him in for the kiss!"

I'm.Dying.

Of.Jealousy.

But, when Daniel saw he was being watched, the witness--who took a National Enquirer polygraph test....I know--claims Craig then "immediately broke away from the guy. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it."

Another source inside the bar--which means a drunk-on-Cosmos-homo near the back door--says: "When Daniel and his friend walked in, the looked like any other upscale gay couple checking out the scene. He rubbed Daniel's leg and shoulder while they talked, and Daniel didn't seem to mind. At first, I thought Daniel may have come in with his gay friend to check out the live music. But when they started dancing together, I though, 'This is more than just two friends out for drinks.'"

Last year, California state Senator Roy Ashburn was a deeply closeted, deep in denial gay man. Not too much wrong there, really, it';s his choice to be out, open and honest. But the sad part was that, as a senator, Ashburn consistently voted against LGBT legislation in his state.

That's what the closet does. it forces you to work against yourself so no one would ever suspect you might be gay. It forces you to deny your very self.

But now, two months after his drunk driving arrest, two months after it was discovered he was leaving a Sacramento gay bay, two months after reluctantly announcing he was gay, Roy Ashburn openly discussed his sexual orientation on the Senate floor and cast votes on two separate gay-rights bills.

He was the only Republican senator to vote in support--SUPPORT--of allowing openly gay people to serve in the military. He gets a half hand-clap here, because he also voted against--AGAINST--a bill that would clarify that clergy members would not be required to perform a civil marriage that was contrary to his or her faith.

Ashburn explained his votes on the Senate floor: "I would not have been speaking on a measure dealing with sexual orientation ever prior to the events that have transpired in my life over the last three months. However, I am no longer willing or able to remain silent on issues that affect sexual orientation and the rights of individuals. And so I am doing something that is quite different and foreign to me, and it’s highly emotional."

Ashburn also said, of DADT: "The public supports allowing openly gay people to serve in the military....The current policy of 'don’t ask, don’t tell’ is clearly out of date and discriminatory.’’

But what about that second bit of business?

Ashburn said he supported the portion of the legislation that made it clear clergy members would face no sanctions, including the loss of tax-exempt status for their churches, if they refused to perform gay marriages, but called it "troublesome’’ that the bill described marriages as "civil’’ unions. Since Prop H8 gave a definition of marriage, Roy Ashburn said he was worried the new definition in the bill could muddy the water and lead to new lawsuits on the issue.

But, Roy, you're out, you're a little bit proud. Don't you see that allowing marriage equality is just the same as repealing DADT.

Prop H8, like, DADT, to use your own words, is "out of date and discriminatory." Two bad you're not out of the closet enough to see that.

"I'd heard that a lot of professional actors were gay. Acting seemed like a chance for me to meet like-minded people. You know, at that time same-sex love in Britain got you into prison. Homosexuality was being completely hushed up. Gay teachers, politicians or firemen - that was something unthinkable. When I was young I thought I was the only gay Brit. That's why I was glad to find people like me in the actors guild."

Lady Gaga, on rumors that she's, well, a he:

"I love the rumor that I have a penis. I'm fascinated by it. In fact, it makes me love my fans even more that this rumor is in the world because 17,000 of them come to an arena every night and they don't care if I'm a man, a woman, a hermaphrodite, gay, straight, transgendered, or transsexual. They don't care! They are there for the music and the freedom. This has been the greatest accomplishment of my life- to get young people to throw away what society has taught them is wrong. Gay culture is at the very essence of who I am and I will fight for women and for the gay community until I die."Iowa Congressman, and Asshat King, Steve King, on the high numbers of gays and lesbians heading to Iowa to get married:

“Just over one year ago, when the Iowa Supreme Court decided to ignore Iowa law and grant same sex couples the ability to get married in our state, I predicted that the decision, absent action by the state legislature to enact a marriage license residency requirement, would turn Iowa into the gay marriage Mecca. Now, the Iowa Department of Public Health is reporting that of the more than 2,000 same-sex couples who were married in Iowa between April 27, 2009, and March 31, 2010, sixty percent were from out of state. Unfortunately, we’ve seen another legislative session pass without action on either a constitutional amendment to overturn the court’s decision, or a marriage license residency requirement to keep the harmful effects of the court’s decision from being imported by ‘altar shoppers’ into other states. This new report from the Department of Public Health reemphasizes the short-sightedness of the court’s decision to enact a same-sex marriage law from the bench, and it provides even more evidence of the need for a residency requirement and a constitutional amendment to repeal it.”

Dan Savage, on the sentencing of a gay couple, Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, in Malawi to 14 years in prison for having a commitment ceremony:

"Malawi is dependent on foreign aid—most of it from Britain and the US—and that aid should be withdrawn. The government of Malawi should be told that it can have its rabid anti-gay bigotry or it can it can have foreign aid. But it can't have both."

GOProud's Jessica Lee, on DADT and the Democrats:

"'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' is the most dramatic and disappointing example of the Democrats’ failure. Despite overwhelming public support for repeal, Congress is at an impasse on the issue and the administration of our “fierce advocate,” despite his promise to repeal, is now urging Congress not to vote for repeal this year."It is clear the gay community is taken for granted by the Democratic Party. No matter how much money we give them or how many doors we knock on for their candidates our issues are never a priority. And not until we make Democrats compete for our money and our votes will they be. I know as gay conservatives, we have an uphill battle. I understand how entrenched the Democratic Party is within our community. But you can be a good gay person who supports equality and not be a Democrat. Gay conservatives share many of the same goals as our friends on the left, even if we may disagree on the best policy route to get us there."Madonna, on the conviction of gay Malawi couple Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga:

"I am shocked and saddened by the decision made today by the Malawian court, which sentenced two innocent men to prison. As a matter of principle, I believe in equal rights for all people, no matter what their gender, race, color, religion, or sexual orientation. Today, Malawi took a giant step backward. The world is filled with pain and suffering; therefore, we must support our basic human right to love and be loved. I call upon the progressive men and women of Malawi—and around the world—to challenge this decision in the name of human dignity and equal rights for all."Archbishop Janis Pujats, speaking out of his ass about homosexuality:"We must assert that homosexuality is an acquired vice that can be likened to addiction to drugs, alcoholism, tobacco smoking, etc., so that those who practice it cannot be treated as a 'minority.' We must say that sexual perversion cannot be tolerated in the public sphere so that this disorder is not turned into a bad example for all society. If someone has inclinations to vice, vice must be reined in and treated. It cannot be legalized or protected, erroneously invoking the notion of human rights. Homosexuality is not a sexual orientation; it is a sexual perversion."

I hijacked this post from Robbie, who hijacked it from Virginia, who hijacked it from.....oh who cares. It's kinda fun, so I'm giving it a shot. Feel free to do the same, just substitute the words NOT in red boldface with your own.

1. Wine is the best food to take on a picnic because it goes with everything.

2.Summerused to be for running and jumping and playing and swimming and now it hot and sticky and there's too much yard work.

3. In South Carolinaflip flops are considered dress shoes.

4. To love someoneis the ultimate compliment.

5. A long hikeis just that. Long. And a hike. Who has the time? Or the energy. When it's summertime and I'm wearing flip-flops and hiking without the man I love who stayed home with the wine?

6. When I crave food it's a sign I might be pregnant....if I was a woman....a straight woman.

7.And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to the air cooling off and a little thunderstorm to liven things up, tomorrow my plans includeyard work and yard work and work in the yard, while on Sunday, I want to spend the entire day with Carlos.

The House voted yesterday to let the Defense Department repeal the ban on gay men and women from serving openly in the military, beginning, I hope, the end of DADT.

My fingers are crossed, but I am not holding my breath.

The repeal will not be allowed until 60 days after a Pentagon report is completed on the ramifications of allowing openly gay service members, and military leaders certify that it would not be disruptive; that report isn't due until the first of December.

A lot can happen between now and then.

Before the vote, the battle lines were quite clear, and quite different. Those in favor of a DADT repeal called the amendment a matter of basic fairness and equality, while those against assailed the President and the Democrats for destabilizing the military to advance a liberal agenda.

See how that works? The Democrats call it fair; the Republicans--and a few asshat Dems--called it liberal. Well, for me, if liberal is fair, then I'm proud to be liberal.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi: “On Memorial Day, America will come together and honor all who served our nation in uniform. I urge my colleagues to vote for the repeal of this discriminatory policy of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ and make America more American.”

Fairness.

In addition to the House vote, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved a similar measure yesterday. The vote, in a closed session--much to the chagrin of John McCain who wanted it televised so he can improve upon his new ultra-conservative image--was 16 to 12, with one Republican, Susan Collins of Maine, in favor, and one Democrat, Jim Webb of Virginia, opposed. Committee chairman Carl Levin said he believed that the full Senate would support permitting the repeal.

And, like the House amendment, the Senate measure would allow Pentagon leaders to revoke the ban 60 days after the military completes its report, and President Obama, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, certify that it won't hamper military readiness and effectiveness or “unit cohesion.”

President Obama said: “This legislation will help make our armed forces even stronger and more inclusive by allowing gay and lesbian soldiers to serve honestly and with integrity.”

Fairness. Honesty. Integrity.

But chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines have all objected, and, in letters solicited by Grampa McCain, have urged Congress to delay voting on the issue until after the Defense Department completed its report. McCain said: “I think it’s really going to be really harmful to the morale and battle effectiveness of our military.”

Fairness. Honesty. Integrity.

I thought those were tenets of the military, and yet John. McCain has vowed to keep stomping his feet and being all anti-gay when the measure reaches the Senate floor.

Senator Joe Lieberman, who sponsored the repeal measure, said: “The ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy doesn’t serve the best interests of our military and doesn’t reflect the best values of our country....[b]ottom line, thousands of service members have been pushed out of the U.S. military not because they were inadequate or bad soldiers, sailors, Marines or airmen but because of their sexual orientation. And that’s not what America is all about.”

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Some people think Glee is just a fluffy show about a bunch of misfits struggling to fit in by joining the school's Glee club--Big mistake. Huge.But then they go and do something like this. I wish Burt Hummel could be every gay kid's dad.

Once again, ExxonMobil steers way clear of equal rights for all their employees.

At this year's shareholders meeting just 22% voted in favor of adding sexual orientation to the company's nondiscrimination policy; that means, 78% of ExxonMobil shareholders deemed LGBT employees as "less than". This is a shift in the wrong direction, seeing as last year 40% were in favor of amending the nondiscrimination policy.

ExxonMovil is one of the few companies ranked by the Human Rights Campaign with a score of zero.

Before the merging, Mobil had a gay-inclusive nondiscrimination policy and domestic-partner benefits, but after the merger with Exxon those policies ended. As did any chance that I will purchase so much as a soft drink, much less gas, from any station with an ExxonMobil sign out front. They don't want to protect my rights in their company, I don't want their stinking gas in my tank.

I think it's time to move on. Sometimes you stay in a relationship for too long, thinking it's going to work, hoping it'll get better, wishing it was like it used to be, but knowing that this is the end. I understand that now. And that's why I'm announcing it here, on ISBL:

Like Simon, I'm done with American Idol.

It isn't just that Lee DeDrab won last night over the infinitely more talented Crystal Bowersox; although that's a big part of it. It's the show itself. They spend weeks telling the Idol-wannabes to be current, to sing a song like it could be released today. But American Idol's own results show is the biggest pile of cheese-and-corn, not seen on TV since the old Lawrence Welk days.

Seriously. Current is having the Idol's dressed in Catholic school outfits and singing with Alice Cooper? I get that Cooper is an icon, but current? Not unless this is the early 80s and I didn't get the telegram.

And then we had last year's winner, Kris Allen sing his single 'The Truth.' I hate to steal Randy's thunder, but he was pitchy, dawg; and the song was a snooze fest. Still, when compared to the Final 10 or 12 or whatever from this season--save Crystal--he was pretty good. Okay, not pretty good, but a hint better than this year's mess.

And don't get me started on the Bee Gees. The motherfella Bee Gees? Their quartet with Aaron Kelly and Siobhan Magnus of 'How Deep is Your Love' was a salute to nasality. And how current to pick a song that is roughly thirty years old. Thirty.Years.

Michael Lynche came out to sing with Michael McDonald--of the Doobie Brothers--his rendition of another decades old song, 'Takin' It To The Streets.' By this time I was hoping for something from the 80s at least, but, um, no. And, well, since he lost, I'm gonna say it: Michael Lynche reminds me of Queen Latifah, in his face and the way he moves onstage. And since I've never seen Latifah and Mike in the same room, well, just sayin'.

Dane Cook, who calls himself a comedian, though that's debatable, warbled a really unfunny song about Simon's nasty comments over the years--culminating in a really bad joke about Lincoln's assassination...I know! How Current! Then the stage overflowed with the worst of the worst Idol rejects, until the cameraman, probably out of embarrassment, quickly turned his lens on the audience.

The Gals Of The Top Twelve sang a few bars on 'Beautiful' and then turned the stage over to Christina Aguilera, someone who's not only released a record this century, but is still releasing records. I thought, wrongly, that the show would get better.

Then came Hall & Oates and the Top Twelve Boys doing 'You Make My Dreams Come True' and suddenly it was the eighties and I was waiting for Molly Riongwald at the prom, or something. Hall & Oates....and Oates doesn't even sing, because we all know do-wops don't count. It was at this point I looked at Carlos and asked, "Why, God, Why, didn't I DVR this so I can fast-forward the crap?"

My answer, partially, came when Crystal Bowersox arrived onstage without the losers and sang Alanis Morissette's 'Ironic' before Morissette joined her for 'You Oughta Know.' This was a performance, and I thought, "Yeah, Crystal's got it."

But before she could "get" it, Idol trotted out their old warhorse Carrie Underwood, and while she was singing Carlos remarked that she moves like a dinosaur. I watched for a moment and realized he was right: Girl can sing....girl can't dance. Awk-ward.

Hot-to-trot hottie, and my future ex-boyfriend, Casey James came out. He looked good--he always looks good.....gimme me a minute.....yeah......okay--and he sounded good, singing Poison's 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn' until being joined by Bret Michaels, who is all over TV, and hospitals, after his recent aneurysm.

Still, while Casey looked good.....Poison? Current?

Well, certainly more current than Chicago. Chicago? My high school marching band used to march to Chicago tunes at half-time, that's how current Chicago is; and they added Lee DeWyze to their group, proving yet again, that the boy can't really sing consistently.

Then came General Larry Platt and his audition song 'Pants on the Ground,' which further escalated the cheese factor of this show, especially after William Hung, who auditioned for Idol about fifty years ago, came onstage to, er, help.

But the worst part of the night was the return of Paula Abdul to say good-bye to Simon Cowell. She rambled, she spoke incoherently, she told jokes that weren't, and it went on far too long.

Damn! Why.Didn't.I.DVR.This? All her reappearance proved was that it was a good thing she wasn't part of the show any longer.

Following Paula, we saw the return of past Idol winners, and losers, and a lot of the winners are losers--Jordin Sparks--and some of the losers--I'm talking to you, JHud--are winners. Kelly Clarkson--my favorite winner--was allowed to sing a line, before Ruben came out, and then the rest of them whose names I forget because they have no careers. Taylor Hicks? Did he get the night off from the DQ to be there?

Finally, Simon was allowed to speak, and there was a current, honest moment as he said thanks to the show, the audience and the contestants and I kept thinking. It seemed heartfelt, though also a bit of a push, you know, kind of a Please watch Idol next year though I know you won't.

I was thinking, "Take me with you Simon!! Take me with you!!"

Jante Jackson then appeared onstage...again....current? She sang a song called 'Nothing' which is exactly what it did for me, and then stripped down to some porn-star catsuit to do 'Nasty' which wasn't. I'd heard that Janet's going to focus more on acting and less on music from now on; I think that might be wise.

As we near the two-day mark--I kid, it was just two hours--Crystal and Lee took the stage with another current pop star, Joe Cocker; Carlos asked me if it was Trini Lopez....look it up. When I said 'No' he asked if it was Mickey Rooney, and I thought 'Might as well be.'

Current.

And then we had it.

Lee DeWyze wins, and he said: "Thank you guys so much for everything. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you guys so much. Everybody. I can't believe this. I love you guys. This is amazing. Crystal, I love you ... I'm just happy, man. I'm so happy right now. I've never been happier in my life."

Boring. Crystal was robbed.

And before anyone says, 'Oh no, Lee's good' let me say this: Lee is vanilla. He's middle-of-the-road safe. He's this year's Kris Allen. Last year, America was too afraid of Adam Lambert--who was hands down the better singer and entertainor--and they gave it to Allen, who is reduced to Ford commercials, while Lambert is enjoying his success. Which, I think, will happen this year.

Lee won, and he'll put out an album of nice Kenny-Loggins-John-Mayer sounding retro crap, and his next big gig will be when he appears on Idol next year. Crystal, however, can sing, and entertain, and, well, has some personality to back up her talent.

We'll see more of Crystal and less of Lee, which, I guess means Crystal really won. Yeah. Okay. Better now.

Still, I couldn't help thinking, as I watched Lee looking like a deer-in-headlight because even he knew he shouldn't have won, and as I thought back to the Past Idol group song a few minutes earlier, that none of the winners, except for Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, and none of the so-called losers, save Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudoson, ever went further.

So, American Idol isn't current. It isn't fresh. It's as stale as Ryan Seacrest's between song patter. And, like Simon, I'm done with it.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

I am going to take a little time today to gloat about Carlos because, well, it's my blog and I'll gloat if I want to.

When we lived in Miami, and for a time after moving to Smallville, Carlos worked in the veterinary field as a practice manager. But, after we moved to South Carolina, circumstances changed, and Carlos took a position with a private health care company, working with the homeless and lower income communities as an HIV educator, tester and counselor. It was quite the change for him, and something neither of us ever expected he would do, or love so much.

The state legislature, a few months ago, cut funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program [ADAP] and then turned around and spent millions on a loan to a golf tournament; evidently, for them, golf is more important than people's lives. Recently, the legislature was again to vote to cut all funding to ADAP and other programs geared toward the homeless and low income communities, and a rally was planned at the statehouse in Columbia.

Doctors spoke about the need for funding. A woman who had been beaten with two-by-fours and gang raped spoke of the need for such programs; the director of the South Carolina HIV/AIDS Council [SCHAC] spoke of keeping the funding.

One additional speaker was the hubby of yours truly.

Carlos was asked to speak on behalf of the Hispanic community, also affected by lack of adequate health care, and funding for HIV testing, education, and treatment.

And I could not have been more proud listening to him speak passionately, in English and Spanish, of the needs for all people, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity or income to be treated fairly and receive treatment for HIV/AIDS. Hearing him ask our politicians set aside sport and focus on lives.

As I said, neither Carlos nor I could ever have envisioned him doing this work, and loving this work, and being so passionate about this work. But there he was, on the steps of the statehouse, and on the evening news, doing just that.

I am one proud hubby in Smallville.

And, to make me even happier, the South Carolina Senate voted yesterday not to accept the House suggestionsto cut funding for ADAP, and other services for low income South Carolinians.

American Family Association's Asshat-In-Chief Bryan Fischer said on his radio show this week that Hitler--whom he believes was gay--surrounded himself with fellow homosexuals--though not of the effeminate variety...those he killed--because gays are savage and brutal enough to carry out his genocide:

"So Hitler himself was an active homosexual. And some people wonder, didn't the Germans, didn't the Nazis, persecute homosexuals? And it is true they did; they persecuted effeminate homosexuals. But Hitler recruited around him homosexuals to make up his Stormtroopers, they were his enforcers, they were his thugs. And Hitler discovered that he could not get straight soldiers to be savage and brutal and vicious enough to carry out his orders, but that homosexual solders basically had no limits and the savagery and brutality they were willing to inflict on whomever Hitler sent them after. So he surrounded himself, virtually all of the Stormtroopers, the Brownshirts, were male homosexuals."

Makes one wonder.

We're such a savage lot, we have no limits, we'll do anything to anyone, and yet we can't get DADT repealed in a nanosecond.....we can't get married in the majority of this country.....we aren't entitled to the same right and privileges as our hetero counterparts.

Hmmm.

We are worse than terrorists.....we destroyed the economy....we will bring about the end of civilization as it is now known.

Seriously, Bryan, you inconsequential fool, you give us far too much power, because, if we are so savage and brutal and know no limits to our power and fury, do you think we'd be fighting over DADT, and DOIMA, and ENDA, and so many other things?

I loved Paul Lynde.On Hollywood Squares he was the King, or Queen, of the double entendre.And, as Uncle Arthur, on Bewitched, he never failed to make me laugh.Which makes this clip, from 1978 all the more funny.WSPD in Toledo, Ohio let Paul Lynde do the weather.This could have been you, Sam Champion.Could'a been you!

So, I wasn't surprised that, when Curry gave a commencement speech to graduates at Wheaton College in Massachusetts, she decided to name off some famous alumni of the school.Only, yeah, these alumni attended another Wheaton College.Those names she listed, which included the Rev. Billy Graham, former House Speaker Dennis Hastert and horror movie director Wes Craven, are all graduates of Wheaton College--a Christian school in Illinois.Curry later apologized in an open letter posted on Wheaton's--the real Wheaton's--website:"I am mortified by my mistake, and can only hope the purity of my motive, to find a way to connect with the graduates and to encourage them to a life of service, will allow you to forgive me."Despite the gaffe, Curry noted that the "gracious" students still gave her a standing ovation. "Now THAT is good manners," she wrote.And, to be fair, she did list some actual graduates of the college where she was speaking; people like, former New Jersey governor Christine Todd Whitman and actress Catherine Keener.Still, Ann, honey. Read it before you speak it.Think about what you're saying.And, for the love of Edward R Murrow, fact check please.I mean, isn't that your job?

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Congressman Alan Grayson introduced a bill to cut separate funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and use the money to eliminate federal income taxes on every American's first $35,000 of income. Cosponsors of his bill include Ron Paul, Walter Jones, John Conyers, Lynn Woolsey, and Dennis Kucinich. It'll never hapen, but it's nice to see someone trying.

Researchers form UCLA are now saying that bullying, you read that right, is good for kids because it teaches them to stand up to classroom enemies an tormentors. I guess that whole, And it might drive them to suicide is just a downside to bullying, huh?

These "researchers" say that youngsters are more popular and more admired by teachers and friends if they return schoolyard hostility in kind.

The "researchers" do admit that bullying can be damaging....You don't say...to children, often leading to depression and anxiety, and the always fun suicide attempt, but those children who are not afraid to stand up for themselves can benefit from being picked on.

So, all children should become bullies. That's one way to end the cycle of violence.

They go on to say that "mutual dislike" can help students develop healthy social and emotional skills, and might even have a bigger impact on their development than friendships. In their "study" of children children aged 11 and 12, these "researchers" compared those who stood up to aggressors with those who did not.

Now read this carefully:

Children who returned hostility with hostility appeared to be the most mature.

Say it again:

Children who returned hostility with hostility appeared to be the most mature.

And, apparently, boys who stood up to bullies and schoolyard enemies were judged more socially competent by their teachers, while girls who did the same were more popular and more admired by teachers and peers.

Now, the "researchers" took great care to say that it isn't healthy to be the victim of bullying, but they do feel that these negative experiences could teach children about conflict resolution.

Unless it drives them to kill themselves first.

Seriously.

Telling children to bully their bullies is a way to handle this crisis? Why not just let the children go to school armed, and whoever is left standing at the end of the day wins the prize of most admired by their peers.

Omar Bonilla wanted to go to prom. As prom queen. Dressed in drag. Big deal, you say? Not so much.

See, last month Omar Bonilla actually ran for prom queen of Flanagan High School in Pembroke Pines, Florida, and was one of the top three vote-getters. But then school officials told Omar that he couldn't attend prom as his drag persona, Allison Rodriguez, because they were worried for his safety. Sounds plausible, I guess, but Omar wasn't buying it, and told them he would attend anyway, wearing his favorite blue sequin gown to the prom.

The day before prom, school officials at Flanagan suspended Omar Bonilla for two days after he parked in a visitor spot, effectively barring him from Friday night's prom. Omar, however, wasn't to be deterred.

As Allison Rodriguez, Omar Bonilla, was invited to the Pridelines Youth Services gay prom Saturday night at Florida International University, along with 250 other youths from Miami-Dade and Broward counties, and won the prom queen title.

"I was really happy about it. I always wanted to win for prom queen,'' Omar Bonilla said. "I felt accepted in many ways....I feel courageous. My message is to be true to yourself and don't be scared of what people say to you. Don't be scared to be open and show your true colors. Don't care what people say, and be strong.''

It sounds like a win-win, for non-discrimination, for LGBTQ students, and for Omar Bonilla, if it weren't for the fact that the conflict with school officials and the resulting publicity caused his parents to ask him to leave their home.

All Omar Bonilla wanted was to go to prom, dressed in the type of drag in which he felt comfortable; he wanted a title, a little recognition, and some fun.

Well, not the real JP, but the actor who played him for nine seasons on Will & Grace.

Yup, newly out, newly starring on Broadway, newly Tony nominated--for the revival of Promises Promises--and newly the subject of a Newsweek magazine article about how gay people can't play straight, or some such nonsense, Sean Hayes is the host of this years gayest awards show ever!!!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Sarah Palin rubbed her two brain cells together and came up with this little gem, regarding Republican, and moron, Rand Paul's appearance on Rachel Maddow:

"One thing we can learn in this lesson that I have learned and Rand Paul is learning now is don't assume that you can engage in a hypothetical discussion about constitutional impacts with a reporter or a media personality who has an agenda, who may be prejudiced before they even get into the interview in regards to what your answer may be. You know, they are looking for the gotcha moment. And that evidently appears to be what they did with Rand Paul, and I'm thankful he clarified his answer about his support for the Civil Rights Act."

Um, Sarah, honey? Step away from the Moose Chili.

Maddow didn't have an agenda.

She had questions.

Rand Paul had answers, which showcased the fact that, like you, he is a complete moron who cannot think on the spot, does not know whereof he speaks, and cannot string together a coherent sentence.

And, Sarah, he didn't "clarify" his answer about supporting the Civil Rights Act.